Shadows of the Past
by HippieLuchaSoul
Summary: Kurt Angle is a world renowned athlete who has accomplished it all, but with fame comes a price.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! I've been full of ideas as of late, I have no idea why, but I'm on a bit of a hot streak with trying new things. This story is something I literally thought about in the middle of the night, and I woke up to get it all out on paper. Kurt Angle in alot of people's eyes hasn't been the most admirable person on the planet, but he's always been someone I've loved wholeheartedly, and admire a great deal regardless of what's been done or said. I think this story shows that words hurt, and that people are human. I hope this story helps people understand that more, and maybe brings a change within you to do more loving towards others, for we don't know what they go through. I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you for all of the support!_

_"Just don't read it.."_

The older gent shut his soft blue eyes as he felt his finger click the link to the website. He knew it was bad enough to read things online, especially with how filthy and negative things are most of the time. He opened his eyes slowly, letting them run across the hundreds of comments from the article.

_"What a waste." _

_"What happened to him? I admired him, now I just pity him."_

_ "He's crazy, just nuts." _

_"Drinking? What a loser."_

Usually, Angle wasn't one for tears. But in this instant, with the whirlwind that has been his life over the past decade, he just had to man up and allow a few tears to flow. He had given his life up since the age of seven to wrestling. At nearly thirty, he gave his life to professional wrestling. Everything he did was to show he could do it. He could amaze people. He could be the one the people admire. Now, he wasn't anything to them.

He read a few more opinionated comments before shutting his laptop down, lifting himself from the plush chair. He cringed softly, feeling his neck giving him a bit of an ache, as he walked quietly towards the kitchen. On the way, he glanced sadly at his medals, all the plaques he accumulated over the years, and couldn't bring himself to be proud. He didn't deserve that, he knew he didn't. But he couldn't fully admit that to himself. He knew he had given his all throughout his life to achieve tremendous goals, and no one, not even himself could take that away from him.

He walked quietly towards the fridge, reaching for a cold water before closing the chrome door shut. He took a long sip, letting the pure, clean water wash away the sorrow that was in his heart and in his soul. He blinked softly, letting his mind race through the memories of the he came to, he realized he had been standing in his home alone, every light dim from the rising moon.

Tonight was a perfect night of reflecting, and he was going to take full advantage of it. He opened the patio door, finding a chair to relax himself in, as he let the shadows of the night take him deep into thought, and on a journey to the past.


	2. Daily improvements

_Got another chapter out for the day! I'm dedicated with making this into a full story, so I'm always pretty excited to add to it. As most of us know, Kurt is a machine when it comes to working through injuries. I'm always like a worried mom watching, hahaha, but I respect him tremendously for what he's done and what he does for us. Hope you guys enjoy!_

"You're cleared, Mr. Angle. But take it easy on yourself, no need to rush back into the ring."

The older doctor smiled at Kurt, patting his knee before handing him his prescription slip. Kurt had been through this routine before, and knew the drill with his medication. He had so many aches and pains where he had ultimately lost count. As the doctor wrote another form for him, his mind slipped away to the thoughts of that article the night before. The sad thing about the internet is while you're making improvements with your life, the main focus is the fuck-ups you've made.

Kurt shook his head softly, tuning out the chorus of negativity that rang through his mind. "Thanks, doc. As much as I'm here, I should start working here or something, don't you think?" Kurt chuckled as Dr. Salvador smiled, laughing at the younger man's joke.

"Kurt, son, I don't think we need you Angle slamming any of the other doctors that get into you way, but we'll take that into consideration." Kurt laughed, bringing the doctor in for a hug. Kurt knew this was just a daily checkup, but he viewed the doctor as a father of sorts, always making Kurt feel much better than he does before coming in. "You watch, huh, doc? Never knew that!" Dr. Salvador gave Kurt a puzzled look, before handing him his last slip.

"Do you think I've been unaware this whole time with who I'm helping? If I'm not mistaken, you look just like this Olympic Gold Medalist named Kurt Angle. I'd say you were his spitting image, just without the hair." Dr. Salvador laughed softly, happy that Kurt felt more at home in his office. After awhile, Kurt found his way outside of the office, locating his car before making his way into the next city.

He had a busy month ahead of him with returning to the the place he had called home for eight years, iMPACT Wrestling.


End file.
